Dear Colleague Letter: Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS) - Employment Opportunities for a Program Director Position in the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD)

October 30, 2017

Dear Colleagues:

The Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems (ECCS), within the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation, announces a nationwide search for a senior-level engineering researcher to fill an open Program Director position in the Electronics, Photonics, and Magnetic Devices (EPMD) area.

Formal consideration of interested applications will begin November 13, 2017 and will continue until a selection is made. The division is looking to fill this position around January 2018.

Program Directors have an unparalleled opportunity and responsibility to ensure NSF-funded research is at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge. In support of that, Program Directors are responsible for extensive interaction with academic research communities and industry, as well as interaction with other Federal agencies that may lead to development of interagency collaborations. Within this context, Program Directors solicit, receive and review research and education proposals, make funding recommendations, administer awards, and undertake interaction with research communities in these fields. They are also responsible for service to Foundation-wide activities and initiatives that together accomplish NSF' strategic goals to: 1) Transform the Frontiers of Science and Engineering, 2) Stimulate Innovation and Address Societal Needs through Research and Education, and 3) Excel as a Federal Science Agency. The position requires a commitment to high standards of intellectualism and ethical conduct, a considerable breadth of interest, receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity.

The ECCS Division addresses fundamental research issues underlying component and device technologies, circuits, communications, cyber technologies, computation, sensing systems, controls, networks, and energy and power systems including smart grid technologies. It supports the integration and networking of complex intelligent systems principles at the nano, micro, and macro scales for a variety of application domains in healthcare, energy, communications, critical infrastructures, environment, homeland security, transportation, and manufacturing. The Division is organized around three broad programs: Electronic, Photonic and Magnetic Device Technologies (EPMD); Communications, Circuits, and Sensing Systems (CCSS); and Energy, Power, Control and Networks (EPCN). For further information, please visit the ECCS web site at https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?org=ECCS.

Qualification requirements for the position are a Ph.D. or equivalent professional experience in the relevant discipline in engineering or science, plus six or more years of successful research, research administration and/or managerial experience in academe, industry, or government. The candidate must demonstrate vision and leadership to identify and support long-term research and education that contributes to the mission of the Division and NSF. NSF Program Directors have the primary responsibility for carrying out the Agency's overall mission to support innovative and merit-evaluated activities in fundamental research and education that contribute to the nation's technological strength, security, and welfare. This requires expertise in appropriate disciplines to implement the proposal review and evaluation process for the program, as well as strong skills in written and oral communication, a commitment to high standards, considerable breadth of interest and receptivity to new ideas, strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity. The position provides a challenging experience and an excellent opportunity to encourage and support engineering research and education. The individual will work with other Program Directors in formulating research strategies, developing collaboration and cooperation across the Foundation and among government, academe and industry, fostering outreach to underrepresented groups, and providing leadership within NSF and the research community.

The Program Director position recruited under this announcement may be filled under the following rotational programs:

Visiting Scientist Appointment:

Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Visiting Scientists are on non-paid leave status from their home institution and placed on the NSF payroll. NSF withholds Social Security taxes and pays the home institution's contributions to maintain retirement and fringe benefits (i.e., health benefits and life insurance), either directly to the home institution or to the carrier. Appointments are usually made for a one-year period and may be extended for an additional year by mutual agreement.

Temporary Excepted Service Appointment:

Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Candidates who do not have civil service or reinstatement eligibility will not obtain civil service status if selected. Candidates currently in the competitive service will be required to waive competitive civil service rights if selected. Usual civil service benefits (retirement, health benefits, and life insurance) are applicable for appointments of more than one year. Temporary appointments may not exceed three years.

Intergovernmental Personnel Assignment (IPA) Act:

Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment with a Federal agency include employees of State and local government agencies or institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments, and other eligible organizations in instances where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. Initial assignments under IPA provisions may be made for a period up to two years, with a possible extension for up to an additional two-year period. The individual remains an employee of the home institution and NSF provides the negotiated funding toward the assignee's salary and benefits. Initial IPA assignments are made for a one-year period and may be extended by mutual agreement.